Pidcock will race the Tour of Britain 48 hours after the MTB World Championships

Tom Pidcock has been confirmed for the upcoming Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men. He will start on September 3, less than 48 hours after competing in the MTB World Championships in Andorra and there he will face Remco Evenepoel who has just become a double Olympic champion.

Pidcock and Evenepoel will face off in the Tour of Britain

Evenepoel's participation had been secured for weeks, and the recent confirmation of Pidcock by Ineos Grenadiers adds an extra ingredient to the British competition.

Pidcock's presence automatically places him among the favorites to win the race, especially if he manages to excel in the early stages, which favor his profile. The double Olympic mountain bike champion has had good performances in this race, as he finished second in the 2022 edition before the race was canceled due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Before his participation in the Tour of Britain, Pidcock will compete in the Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra on the weekend of August 31. The cyclist from Yorkshire is the current cross-country world champion and will defend his title in this event. After the Tour of Great Britain, it is speculated that he could participate in the Montreal GP and the Quebec GP in Canada, although it has not been officially confirmed.

Evenepoel will lead the Soudal Quick-Step team alongside former world champion Julian Alaphilippe, in what will be one of the Frenchman's last races before moving to the Tudor team. In addition, Pidcock will be the spearhead of the Ineos team, although his future with the British squad is not completely assured, as some reports link him to the Lidl-Trek and Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe teams despite having a valid contract for three more years with the British team.

The route of this year's Tour of Great Britain seems to have been designed with Pidcock in mind, with two initial stages that include over 5 kilometers of continuous ascent, a challenge that the British rider could use to gain time on Evenepoel.